The prior art teaches disc brakes for motor vehicles generally comprising a circular disc or rotor mounted to a wheel for rotation about a common axis. An anchor member, rigidly mounted to the axle which supports the wheel, also provides a rigid support for a caliper which otherwise straddles a portion of the periphery of the rotor. The caliper itself supports a pair of brake shoes with brake linings on either side of the rotor. A piston housed within the caliper on one side of the rotor is operative to urge one brake shoe lining into engagement with one side of the rotor, whereupon the piston further operates to slidably shift the caliper away from the rotor to thereby bring the other brake shoe lining into engagement with the other side of the rotor and, hence, generate the desired braking torque.
In one alternative arrangement taught by the prior art, the brake shoes are themselves supported by a pair of pins which extend from the caliper in a direction generally parallel to the rotational axis of the wheel/rotor. Under this prior art design, the shoes are designed so that only one pin bears the braking torque as the brake shoe linings are respectively urged into engagement with the rotor while the other pin serves merely to maintain the relative positions of each brake shoe.
What is needed, then, is an improved sliding caliper disc brake for applying braking torque to a wheel of a motor vehicle featuring reduced part count and ease of replacement/repair of its brake shoes and linings, while otherwise minimizing shifting and vibration of the installed brake shoes during vehicle braking and, correlatively, reducing any uneven brake wear or deterioration in brake performance likely to result therefrom.